Germany extradites Islamic extremist to France

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Germany has extradited an alleged Islamic extremist to France three months after his arrest as part of a probe into the financing of a militant network, prosecutors said late on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old Turk identified only as Erdal S. was detained in May on a French arrest warrant in the southwestern German town of Weil am Rhein. Authorities also raided his home.

A spokeswoman for the German federal prosecutor's office said the man, who was not wanted in Germany, was then handed over to France on August 19, where he is accused of raising money for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The group, formed in 1998, is considered one of the most radical groups operating in Central Asia and claims to be linked to Al-Qaeda. Originally formed to overthrow Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov and set up an Islamic regime across Central Asia, the IMU is said to be active on the volatile border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and is listed as a terrorist group by the United States.

France believe Erdal S. is a key player in the organization. Nine other people, most of them Turkish, are already under investigation in the case.